Biographic - Sunday August 23, 2015 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

When he arrived in Hollywood, he sold pens over the phone to make a living. Now Johnny Depp is a movie megastar who owns his own Caribbean Island! Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, and raised in Miramar, Florida, Johnny Depp played guitar in a local rock band for the likes of Iggy Pop and Billy Idol, the group relocated to Los Angeles in search of success. When the big break failed to materialize, Johnny took a job selling pens over the phone until Nicolas Cage, who was a fan of the band, persuaded him to try his hand at acting. Roles in the movies "A Nightmare On Elm Street," "Platoon" and "Private Resort" led to a starring role on the TV series "21 Jump Street" More than 10,000 fan letters a month poured in and his fee skyrocketed to $45,000 a show. By 1990, movie stardom was beckoning, and the starring role in the offbeat "Cry-Baby" was followed by the quirky box-office smash "Edward Scissorhands." The 1990s established him as one of the most versatile and daring actors of his generation. The sweet "Benny & Joon" and the moving "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" contrasted with such darker fare as "The Ninth Gate" and "Sleepy Hollow" and the freaky "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and "Ed Wood" were countered by the mainstream "Donnie Brasco." His portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the CAribbean" movies helped make him fabulously wealthy and earned him his first Oscar nomination. He was also nominated for "Finding Neverland" and "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Now middle-aged and a father of two, he still retains the ability to surprise with his choice of roles. Who else but Depp would follow a portrayal of gangster John Dillinger in 2009's "Public Enemies" and the Mad Hatter in "Alice In Wonderland." and voice an episode of TV's "Spongebob Squarepants." along the way? Having starred opposite Angelina Jolie in "The Tourist" he took on roles in two movie remakes of classic TV shows- Tonto in "The Lone Ranger" and Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows" before playing The Wolf in the musical "Into The Woods." Next month's "Black Mass" sees Depp drastically alter his appearance to play real-life gangster Whitey Bulger, after which he will revisit as Mad Hatter and Captain Jack Sparrow roles in upcoming sequels.

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